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Neosho, Mo. —
Maple Woods and Crowder College are no strangers when it comes to the Region XVI soccer playoffs.
Two years ago, the Roughriders eliminated Maple Woods from the postseason in the quarterfinal round, and last year the Monarchs put an end to Crowder’s second season of competition in the semifinal round in St. Louis.
As a steady rain fell for much of the game Saturday at Roughrider Field, it was Crowder’s turn to advance in the playoffs as the Roughriders secured a spot in the Region XVI Final Four with a 2-0 victory over Maple Woods.
A first-half goal from Edson Frasnelli gave the Roughriders the lead at 1-0, and then a penalty kick goal off the boot of Crowder leading scorer Bryce Collier with less than 10 minutes remaining in regulation sealed the 2-0 shutout.
Crowder, now 11-6 on the season, avenged an earlier 3-0 loss to Maple Wood on the same field during the regular season. The Roughriders will make their second-consecutive trip to the Final Four and will play a semifinal game in the Region XVI tournament Friday in St. Louis. If they win, the championship game will be played Sunday in the Gateway City.
Crowder got on the board in the 40th minute when Frasnelli put in a shot past a stunned Maple Woods goalkeeper off a free kick from Diego Araujo.
The score remained 1-0 for Crowder at the half, and the Roughriders came out in the final 45 minutes and bunkered down on defense. Maple Woods tilted the field toward Crowder’s goal in the first 25 minutes of the second half, applying pressure but not getting many true scoring chances.
“We have been able to bunker down pretty good when we get the lead in the second half,” Smith said. “When we have the lead, we are able to make it stick. I wasn’t happy how we won, it wasn’t what we were trying to do, but if we have to win that way we can. We also know how to counter out of it.”
Smith said Frasnelli’s goal “was huge.”
“Bryce (Collier) probably should have had a goal before that, but he missed that opportunity and then Edson got a great goal,” Smith said. “I think we came out ready to play.”
After weathering Maple Woods’ offensive push earlier in the second half, Crowder finally had a chance near the Maple Woods goal as Gian Panto was taken down in the box — awarding the Roughriders a penalty kick.
Maple Woods and Crowder College are no strangers when it comes to the Region XVI soccer playoffs.
Two years ago, the Roughriders eliminated Maple Woods from the postseason in the quarterfinal round, and last year the Monarchs put an end to Crowder’s second season of competition in the semifinal round in St. Louis.
As a steady rain fell for much of the game Saturday at Roughrider Field, it was Crowder’s turn to advance in the playoffs as the Roughriders secured a spot in the Region XVI Final Four with a 2-0 victory over Maple Woods.
A first-half goal from Edson Frasnelli gave the Roughriders the lead at 1-0, and then a penalty kick goal off the boot of Crowder leading scorer Bryce Collier with less than 10 minutes remaining in regulation sealed the 2-0 shutout.
Crowder, now 11-6 on the season, avenged an earlier 3-0 loss to Maple Wood on the same field during the regular season. The Roughriders will make their second-consecutive trip to the Final Four and will play a semifinal game in the Region XVI tournament Friday in St. Louis. If they win, the championship game will be played Sunday in the Gateway City.
Crowder got on the board in the 40th minute when Frasnelli put in a shot past a stunned Maple Woods goalkeeper off a free kick from Diego Araujo.
The score remained 1-0 for Crowder at the half, and the Roughriders came out in the final 45 minutes and bunkered down on defense. Maple Woods tilted the field toward Crowder’s goal in the first 25 minutes of the second half, applying pressure but not getting many true scoring chances.
“We have been able to bunker down pretty good when we get the lead in the second half,” Smith said. “When we have the lead, we are able to make it stick. I wasn’t happy how we won, it wasn’t what we were trying to do, but if we have to win that way we can. We also know how to counter out of it.”
Smith said Frasnelli’s goal “was huge.”
“Bryce (Collier) probably should have had a goal before that, but he missed that opportunity and then Edson got a great goal,” Smith said. “I think we came out ready to play.”
After weathering Maple Woods’ offensive push earlier in the second half, Crowder finally had a chance near the Maple Woods goal as Gian Panto was taken down in the box — awarding the Roughriders a penalty kick.
Collier scored his 11th goal of the season on the penalty kick.
“That penalty kick allowed me to breathe easier those final minutes,” said Smith with a laugh. “We have done better every year, and we have a good group of kids. Most of them are freshmen, and hopefully we are able to keep taking little steps forward with the program. The next step now is to win the region.”
The Roughriders carry the No. 1 seed into the region’s semifinal round.
“I don’t know how that happened, but we will take it,” Smith said of being the top seed. “It helps when you beat a team [Maple Woods] that beat you earlier in the season.”
